The NASCAR grid isn't the only place that might look different next year as a result of Kyle Busch changing teams.
The starting field for the Indianapolis 500 could also include Busch for the very first time, as the veteran driver's new team, Richard Childress Racing, won't restrict him from competing.
"I made sure it was in the deal," Busch told reporters Tuesday, per Yahoo! Sports. "I can go run it if I want to run it. So, by all means, any IndyCar teams that are Chevrolet, call me up. ... I can do it."
Busch, 37, has long seemed a natural fit for "The Double," an impressive -- though not unheard of -- accomplishment in motorsports: a single driver racing the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day on Memorial Day weekend. But Joe Gibbs Racing, his former employer, barred Busch from attempting the feat.
Yet despite Busch expressing interest in pulling double-duty in the past, he said it wasn't one of his main concerns in finding a new NASCAR Cup Series home.
"None of the teams that I spoke to, that was not on the priority list," Busch was quoted as saying. "The priority list was me, myself. Can I win races? Can I win championships and then what does KBM look like? Indy 500 wasn't on that paper."
Getting permission isn't the only reason running "The Double" now seems more realistic, however. Chevy-aligned RCR is likely to be far more amenable to a one-day partnership with another Chevy-powered IndyCar program. As a Toyota shop, JGR didn't have any manufacturer partners on the IndyCar circuit.
Busch's older brother, Kurt, is the last driver to attempt "The Double," and only Tony Stewart ran every lap of both races on the same day. So beyond whatever lies ahead in his NASCAR future, there's at least one other piece of bragging rights Busch can target with RCR.
